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Lessons from Grand Prix: Austin

I have to admit I had high hopes coming into this GP. Not only did I feel I had a virtual stranglehold on the draft format, but it would have been poetically great. You see, I only had one really good year in Magic. That year began with GP: Houston. I figured, what better place for a comeback than the state where it all began? What I failed to realize was that my skills aren’t what they once were, and there was a day of sealed before the draft. Regardless, there was a lot to be learned from my heartbreak that weekend, and hopefully the wisdom I gained will help the rest of you become better Limited players.

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Sullivan Library: Making the Best Deck Better

Magic: the Gathering Champs logoFew writers on this site have discussed it recently because one fact about States has remained constant and obvious: Affinity is the best deck. However, since everyone knows this, Affinity players will have to fight through a wall of hate in order to reach the elimination rounds, a task that won’t be easy. Today, Adrian shares some ideas on how to modify the best deck in the field to better compete against hate, and applies them to what is certain to be the most popular deck at champs. If you plan to play or to beat Affinity this weekend, then you might want to take a look.

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The Case for MeanDeath Part III – Sideboarding and Matchup Analysis

In Part One, I made the case for MeanDeath as a serious contender in the format. In Part Two, I walked through some of the important considerations that will guide your gameplay. In this article, I wrap up the discussion with an explanation of various sideboard decisions, suggestions on how to sideboard, and a give run-through of the important matchups. I’ll conclude with some final considerations that will tighten up your game.

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Preparing for States: What would Dave Price and Jamie Wakefield Do?

Magic: the Gathering Champs logoDan is back to deliver you not just one, but two different decks, just in time for States. He starts off by channeling Jamie Wakefield to deliver you the best Green deck he could come up with for current Standard, and then tells you what deck he will be playing on Saturday. This article is an absolute must read, because even if you already know what you are playing this weekend, your opponents might not, and Dan’s decks have a habit of changing the metagame.

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Sealed Revealed: Card Pool Five.

Alright people, it’s time to check out the article series that has everyone talking. If you have any interest at all in improving your Limited game, or if you just like good writing, then Sealed Revealed is for you. Craig’s articles are well-written, delightfully funny, and the forums have been blowing up discussing them, so isn’t it about time you hop on board and see what all the fuss is about?

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Yawgmoth’s Whimsy #113: Altered States — Foretelling the Metagame

Magic: the Gathering Champs logoPeter kicks off States week by stretching his precognitive powers as far as they will go, and then delivers some helpful lessons for first-timers and veterans alike about what they should expect and be prepared for in the States metagame.

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French Food for Thought – Champions Blue in Limited

Yann continues his Limited review, this time giving his opinion on Blue, the color that is probably the toughest to figure out in the entire set. Which card does he feel is the best Blue common, and exactly how highly does he rate the best Zubera in the set? You’ll have to read the article to find out, but there might be a few surprises for you along the way.

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StarCityGames.com To Offer Alternate 4th Edition Singles!

For the past year, StarCityGames.com has been aggressively hunting for Alternate Fourth Edition Magic: the Gathering cards. Though what we’ve accumulated isn’t much, we believe that it is one of the largest inventories of Alternate 4th Edition in the world. That inventory is now being offered for sale. If you’re into Magic: the Gathering rarities, this one’s definitely for you!

Interested in learning more about Alternate Fourth Edition? Read on!

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Always The Bridesmaid, Or How Ghettocon Tourney Was The Awesome

Many feel that the tournament report as it once existed is dead, but Carl Winter is here to soundly refute that. Even if you aren’t a Vintage fan, Carl’s reports are excellent, amusing reads that are fun for the whole family, though parental guidance is suggested.

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Sealed Revealed: Card Pool Four

Another list, another barrage of decisions… we leap through hoops of fire, searching for the golden promise. But sometimes, the massed catalogue of intelligence is too much to bear. We drown in the cards, in the names and the system, floundering for something tangible. I’ve got one more pool for you to peruse this weekend, so follow me and then hop into the forums to chime in with your opinion on this successful experiment.

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The 2004 Championship Deck Challenge: Seeing Red (Lose)

Systems theory is great. The idea that something in a group affects everything is so elegant to me. For example, the butterfly effect on a weather group. Or the metagame. You know, like splash damage. Or in the case of Red decks, splash splash damage. You see, I predict there will be two effective decks at Champs this year: Affinity and Green decks. Affinity is the best, and Green is the obvious foil. Plus it seems everyone loves Sakura-Tribe Elder. So what does that mean for Red?

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Undersmerling in a Lester Crash: Champions of Kamigawa Blue for Limited

Fifty miserable, lousy Blue cards. This probably goes without saying by now, but this is an approximate pick order. More than anything, it’s meant to give you a jumping-off point on power levels and/or usefulness of the Blue cards in the set. Nonetheless, I’d appreciate seeing any disputes, minor or major, in the forums. It’s nice to have one of these lists out there for each color for posterity, and in a few months we can look back and see how foolish we were.

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The 2004 Championship Deck Challenge: Keys to the Kingdom

Ahh, Green Week!

I actually have an interesting build of Tooth and Nail that independently echoes some commentary that I’ve read from players like Antonino DeRosa and giant monsters expert Jeff Garza. For whatever reason, I elected to go a different direction for Green week and learned some surprising things along the way.

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Sealed Revealed: Card Pool Three

Card pool two saw us playing with explosives. There were genuine bombs in a couple of colors, and the debate over the correct build is still going strong. So what does card pool three bring us, I wonder? For a start, it’s bringing me Repetitive Strain Disorder and a hearty hatred of Blue, as I’m sick to death of typing the word “Soratami.” However, I will press on and continue our daily discussion of Limited card valuatino and proper Sealed Builds in the article and particularly in the forums. Follow along, kiddies!

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Moving Along – Champions Cards to Keep an Eye On

This is probably my favorite subject to write on, since I love talking about over and underrated cards and helping people figure out the format. What cards are you overlooking, and which ones should you be drafting higher? The Eisel knows…

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